Could LeBron James compete in the NFL?

[TheMatrix31]

I think he'd be a poor man's Jermichael Finley.

[Scott]

He'd be a poor mans Martellus Bennett, who already sucks enough.

[PaperBoyx703]

At least a helmet would shield his hairline better than a headband would.

[OSUFan_88]

If he could have stuck with football, who knows.

The problem was, when he stopped playing, he was a Sophomore in HS and had a penchant for short arming balls when going over the middle.

Physically, I still think he could play. Mentally, no chance. One hit and he'd act like he was just shot.

[mockme]

He is a freak. Amazing amounts of physical ability. Still, he wouldn't make it in the NFL. He is a basketball player, not a football player. Yes, he is a top-notch athlete, perhaps the best, but it's about more than athleticism. I'm sure his body can take a hit but imagine the reaction after he'd get drilled once. He'd be shocked, maybe even get scared.

Plus he's a bit of a whiner. In basketball, he can make stuff happen all by himself, he gets the ball when he wants it etc. I bet he'd start crying to the press if he didn't get enough passes thrown his way or carries or whatever the position is he would play.

[BestServedCold]

I would LOVE to see James play in the NFL. Every shot he would take would leave me smiling and likely cheering.

[ehh]

First off, LMAO @ how tiny that football looks in his hands.



I'm still in the camp that he'd be just fine in the NFL after some time to adjust. Yeah, he wouldn't be much more than fly pattern/fade/goal line guy but seriously - that's pretty much what Plaxico is at this point in his career so why couldn't LBJ fill a role like that? He's bigger, stronger, faster and can jump higher than Plax.

People really don't think you can put LBJ against a 5'10 corner that weighs 100 lbs less than him 1-on-1 and have him win a jump ball on a fade?

I doubt he'd be a precision route runner or go over the middle but there are plenty of guys in the league that don't do that. If that's what everyone's big concern is then don't send him across the middle.

It's no surprise that every NFL player, current or former, shoots down the idea. Their egos are too big to think an outsider could just thrown on some pads and fit in among a group of people who have worked their entire lives to get where they are in the NFL.

The biggest question mark is definitely the mental side of things. He's a fragile primadonna, no doubt about that. And I probably wouldn't have him on the field in a big spot, all kidding aside.

[1Rose]

First off, is there a section on this forum that doesn't have LeBron in it?? -______-

Secondly, I don't there is a question he could play football. The guy is a freak athlete. The size of a Defensive end with the speed of a TE/WR.

Do I think he would be a superstar? No. The guy is mentally fragile. Couple big hits and it would be in his head then the drops would come. Wouldn't want him out there in a big game situation. Maybe have some designed red zone plays for him in the middle of the game, but fourth quarter and need a big play, I'm looking somewhere else.